back into his mind.
‘Do we know anything about the body on the rail?’ he asked.
‘My team’s in there right now, trying to figure it out. He’s in a real mess though. But I examined the bathroom myself earlier, and found something.’
‘What was that?’ Mac asked.
‘Aside from the victim’s, there’s only one other set of fingerprints in the blood. Whoever killed him didn’t wear gloves. He either didn’t expect to get caught or just didn’t care if he does.’
She paused.
‘Someone really went to work on him. They pulled out his fingernails, gouged out his eyes, cut off his genitalia, flayed his skin. I’ve seen some bad ones and this is up there with the worst.’
Mac turned to Archer.
‘I want the whole squad back at the Unit pronto. Our priorities just changed.’
Collins tilted her head as something caught her attention. A member of her team was calling her.
‘Excuse me gentlemen,’ she said.
The two men nodded and she departed, pulling another set of gloves from her pocket as she returned to the house.
Watching her go, Archer turned to Mac. He went to speak, but he saw that the older man’s eyes had narrowed, looking past him at something.
Archer twisted round to see what it was.
‘Oh Jesus,’ he muttered.
Thirty yards away, a member of the team was sat slumped on the back of a police van, his eyes wide and unfocused, staring ahead with shock.
Chalky.
There was a constant buzz of movement around him from other police officers and forensics, but he remained motionless, lost in thought. Archer sighed. The near-escape with the shotgun was written all over his friend’s face.
‘One way to cure a hangover,’ Mac said quietly, watching him.
‘So the gun just misfired? Did the guy reload?’ Archer asked. He hadn’t seen the incident, but Porter had filled him in on what happened.
Mac nodded. ‘He racked a round. Shell in the chamber. You heard the other blasts, kid. That gun was working just fine.’
He looked closer at Chalky.
‘Tell you what, he’s got nine lives, that boy. Someone upstairs must love him. I thought he was done.’
Behind them, Porter stuck his head out of a wound-down window from inside their police car. He had a mobile phone in his hand.
‘ Mac? ’ he called. ‘It’s Director Cobb. He wants to speak to you.’
Mac nodded, turning to Archer.
‘We need to get Chalk out of here, Arch. There are cameras everywhere. I don’t want that look on his face reappearing on the midday news. Get him in the car and we’ll go back to the Unit.’
Archer nodded. Mac moved over to Porter and took the phone from his hand to talk to Cobb.
Taking a deep breath, Archer walked towards his friend.
Chalky didn’t seem to register his approach, still staring at the ground. Arriving in front of him, Archer stood still.
‘Looks like you owe me a tenner,’ he said, trying to lighten the mood.
Silence. Chalky didn’t respond or show any sign that he’d heard him.
‘Mac told me what happened. How are you feeling?’
Pause.
‘How do you think I feel?’ he replied quietly.
‘You need to straighten up, Chalk. There're a load of cameras over there. The whole country will be watching this. We don’t want you ending up on the six o’clock bulletin.’
For the first time, Chalky looked up at him. Archer hid his surprise. His friend looked as if he’d aged ten years in ten minutes. He looked physically and emotionally drained, all from a cocktail of shock, adrenaline and a bad hangover.
‘It was an inch from my face, Arch,’ he said. ‘I could see inside the barrel. I shouldn’t be here. I should be painted all over the wall in the house.’
‘Well, you’re not. You’re still alive,’ Archer said. Stepping forward, he put his palm under his friend’s armpit, helping him up. ‘C’mon mate, we’re going back to the Unit. We’ll get the kettle on and fix you up.’
It was weak at best, but Archer didn’t know what else to say. It seemed to work
‘Do we know anything about the body on the rail?’ he asked.
‘My team’s in there right now, trying to figure it out. He’s in a real mess though. But I examined the bathroom myself earlier, and found something.’
‘What was that?’ Mac asked.
‘Aside from the victim’s, there’s only one other set of fingerprints in the blood. Whoever killed him didn’t wear gloves. He either didn’t expect to get caught or just didn’t care if he does.’
She paused.
‘Someone really went to work on him. They pulled out his fingernails, gouged out his eyes, cut off his genitalia, flayed his skin. I’ve seen some bad ones and this is up there with the worst.’
Mac turned to Archer.
‘I want the whole squad back at the Unit pronto. Our priorities just changed.’
Collins tilted her head as something caught her attention. A member of her team was calling her.
‘Excuse me gentlemen,’ she said.
The two men nodded and she departed, pulling another set of gloves from her pocket as she returned to the house.
Watching her go, Archer turned to Mac. He went to speak, but he saw that the older man’s eyes had narrowed, looking past him at something.
Archer twisted round to see what it was.
‘Oh Jesus,’ he muttered.
Thirty yards away, a member of the team was sat slumped on the back of a police van, his eyes wide and unfocused, staring ahead with shock.
Chalky.
There was a constant buzz of movement around him from other police officers and forensics, but he remained motionless, lost in thought. Archer sighed. The near-escape with the shotgun was written all over his friend’s face.
‘One way to cure a hangover,’ Mac said quietly, watching him.
‘So the gun just misfired? Did the guy reload?’ Archer asked. He hadn’t seen the incident, but Porter had filled him in on what happened.
Mac nodded. ‘He racked a round. Shell in the chamber. You heard the other blasts, kid. That gun was working just fine.’
He looked closer at Chalky.
‘Tell you what, he’s got nine lives, that boy. Someone upstairs must love him. I thought he was done.’
Behind them, Porter stuck his head out of a wound-down window from inside their police car. He had a mobile phone in his hand.
‘ Mac? ’ he called. ‘It’s Director Cobb. He wants to speak to you.’
Mac nodded, turning to Archer.
‘We need to get Chalk out of here, Arch. There are cameras everywhere. I don’t want that look on his face reappearing on the midday news. Get him in the car and we’ll go back to the Unit.’
Archer nodded. Mac moved over to Porter and took the phone from his hand to talk to Cobb.
Taking a deep breath, Archer walked towards his friend.
Chalky didn’t seem to register his approach, still staring at the ground. Arriving in front of him, Archer stood still.
‘Looks like you owe me a tenner,’ he said, trying to lighten the mood.
Silence. Chalky didn’t respond or show any sign that he’d heard him.
‘Mac told me what happened. How are you feeling?’
Pause.
‘How do you think I feel?’ he replied quietly.
‘You need to straighten up, Chalk. There're a load of cameras over there. The whole country will be watching this. We don’t want you ending up on the six o’clock bulletin.’
For the first time, Chalky looked up at him. Archer hid his surprise. His friend looked as if he’d aged ten years in ten minutes. He looked physically and emotionally drained, all from a cocktail of shock, adrenaline and a bad hangover.
‘It was an inch from my face, Arch,’ he said. ‘I could see inside the barrel. I shouldn’t be here. I should be painted all over the wall in the house.’
‘Well, you’re not. You’re still alive,’ Archer said. Stepping forward, he put his palm under his friend’s armpit, helping him up. ‘C’mon mate, we’re going back to the Unit. We’ll get the kettle on and fix you up.’
It was weak at best, but Archer didn’t know what else to say. It seemed to work
Similar Books
